Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. John 16:20-21(NKJV)
Sorrow into Joy
For the child of God, sorrow is for a moment because it soon gives way to joy. Weeping may endure for the night but joy comes in the morning.
Sorrow has more to do with what we hear than what has happened to us. John 16:6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.
While we can’t control the happenings that bring sorrow we can choose to allow or refuse sorrow filling and controlling our lives. This we do by choosing to either give attention to or shut out sorrow filled words, thoughts, imaginations, memories. Likewise joy in our lives is more of what we hear than what happens to us. We can choose joy by yielding to joy filled words or thoughts. John 15:11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and [that] your joy may be full.
The Word of God is the number one source of Joy.
Jeremiah 15:16 Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.
Therefore, the number one- and best-way sorrow is always turned into joy is when we turn our attention from sorrowful circumstances and thoughts to the joy filled Word of a joyfull God.